In the last 10
years or so over 1000 Saw-whets are caught and banded in major irruption
years, which usually occur ever 4 years, at banding sites along the Kittitany
ridge. In this short period of time the data collected through this Ned
Smith Center initiative, along with data from the other 70 Saw-whet banding
stations in the US and Canada, has shown that the central Appalachians
are a major flyway for what is turning out to be our most common small
forest raptor.

Every other year on average is an irruption year, though
these tend to be smaller spikes in numbers compared to larger totals every
4 years. Everything was going true to form until 2003. High numbers were
banded in 1995 and 1999 and expectations were high for 2003, but alas
it was a disappointing year and it is still undetermined as to why. 2004
has certainly been better, but the one glaring omission in the data is
the lack of juveniles. Theories abound and the word from ‘up-north’
is that it has been a record low for rodent populations and this no doubt
is responsible for Saw-whets only laying 1 or 2 eggs at best, compared
to double digits in a good year. With the lack of food comes another interesting
fact; the birds are not getting enough to eat to replace their flight
feathers. This of course being noted when in the hand at the banding station
as they head south as far as Virginia and Tennessee.

80% of the birds banded are females, as studies have shown
males tend to stay on territory throughout the year, and interestingly
at the Small Valley site this year 9% of the birds caught had already
been banded further north.

On this very calm crystal clear starry evening the first
two net checks came up empty. Was it too clear a night, though the moon
was not to rise till very late? The third check was a charm as a small
female juvenile was caught. With the lights out we were able to see the
glowing flight feathers when placed next to an infa-red light, these being
the porphyrin pigments associated with juveniles. Deborah Danila, who
has been volunteering all season, recorded all measurement and data. On
subsequent net checks 2 more individuals were caught, both being after
hatch year (ahy) females, bring our total to 3 for the evening before
most of us left, very contented, around midnight.